The Darkness
by Pretty Phenomenal
Summary: Sequel to "The Masquerade". Tragedy strikes Ravyn's family, how will she handle it? Characters included but not limited to: Shannon Moore, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, AJ Styles, Tyler Black/Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Tyler Breeze, Edge, James Storm, many more)
1. Chapter 1

**This story is the sequel to The Masquerade. It picks up shortly after The Masqerade ends. This one has slightly stronger adult themes. Some new characters. Many returning. Let me know what you think!**

As the darkness overtakes another day Ravyn stirs awake. She crawls from the big bed carefully, trying not to wake Shannon. He opens an eye and smirks at her before rolling over and pulling the covers up over his head. She stifles a giggle and creeps out of the room, closing the door behind her. Music plays in the kitchen quietly. She walks in to find Tyler working out in the small gym off of the kitchen. She grabs breakfast from the fridge and leans against the door jam, watching him finish a set of push-ups.

"You miss him, don't you?" He asks without looking up.

She sighs, "That obvious, huh?"

"Incredibly," he replies dryly. "Give him some time. He'll come back when he's ready, he's been through a lot."

"I know," she mutters. "I just wish it hadn't been so sudden. I thought he would stay and be part of our family..."

Tyler rocks back onto his knees and looks her in the eye, "He is part of our family. He just needs some time to adjust to losing his. As terrible as Vampiro was, it can't be easy losing your maker."

"You're right," she admits.

A lot had changed since Vampiro's death. Matt and his clan had built a house at the far end of the plot Ravyn owned. They had made all the same alterations that Ravyn made to the mansion, so both homes were completely safe during all hours of the day. Shannon had moved into Ravyn's house and they had been dating ever since. AJ had taken Vampiro's demise a lot harder than anyone expected. Shortly after he packed up and left, not telling anyone where he was going.. If or when he'd be back. But Scott made sure that he knew he was always welcome with them.

They chat a bit as Tyler finishes his workout. Soon the rest of their family joins them downstairs.

"We should see if Matt wants to go out tonight," Shannon suggests.

Let's go ask him," Scott agrees heading towards the door.

"Scotty..." Ravyn smirks. "We can just text him. We don't have to walk over there."

Scott huffs, "You kids and your damn technology. They live less than a football field away and you can't be bothered to ask in person."

"Nope," Ravyn giggles and pulls out her phone. She shoots off a text and gets an almost immediate response. "So, Matt and them are going to the new goth club the next town over. Do we want to join?"

"Yeah, we could use a night out," Scott confirms. "I'll let everyone know that they're welcome to join."

Ravyn nods, "They're leaving in an hour. We can just meet in front of their place."

Scott wanders off to see if any of his children are interested in joining out. Ravyn and Shannon go upstairs to get dressed. He quickly picks out a nice button up shirt with black jeans and starts spiking his Mohawk while Ravyn struggles to choose clothes. She browses hanger after hanger before looking to Shannon for assistance. He chuckles and motions for her to get out of the closet and let him by. In less than a minute he has an armful of clothes for her. He hands them over to her with a grin and crosses his arms, satisfied. She quickly changes into the black leather mini skirt, ripped up fishnets and low cut tank top he had chosen. After a glance in the mirror she nods with approval. She runs a brush through her black, lime and teal hair then applies some black eyeliner with a touch of silver shadow. She meets Shannon back in the bedroom. He takes her hand and pulls her in for a deep kiss. They manage to pull away from each other with just enough time to meet everyone else in the garage. Ravyn, Shannon and Tyler get into Ravyn's car while Scott and Lodi take their own. They pull out of their driveway and wait in front of Matt's house. A moment later Matt's car meets up with them and leads the convoy to the new club.

"Man, this place is far away," Tyler groans after only ten minutes in the car.

"Dude, Ty," Ravyn laughs. "We've been in the car for less than fifteen minutes."

He whines, "Ugh I hate car rides. We're supposed to be superior beings. We don't have to eat or breathe... Why haven't we mastered fast travel or teleportation!?"

"I see where you get the attitude," Shannon snorts looking over at Ravyn.

She shoots him a glare. "Watch it Prince," Tyler smiles. "She has my temper, too."

"Oh my god! I do not!" She protests.

The two guys crack up at her sassy reaction. She shakes her head and keeps following Matt's car. Fifteen minutes later they pull up to a building that looks like an abandoned warehouse with a sign that just reads 'The Darkness' in red neon. They find a spot in the big parking lot and Scott leads them inside. A large bar island separates the dancing area from a section with tables, booths and chairs. They take one long table in the center of the seating area with Scott and Matt at the heads of the table. On one side Shannon sits next to Scott, with Ravyn, Jenn and Jeff. Lodi, Tyler, Daffney and Shane take the other side. The group chats while they watch the club. There seems to be more humans than vampires, but everyone looks to be getting along fine. The dancing area is well populated and all of the bar stools are full. Many of the other tables have at least one or two people sitting at them. The music is good, and not overpowering their conversations. Jenn and Jeff are the first to make their way to the dance floor. A few songs later Ravyn's and Shannon follow them. They dance close during a semi slow song taking the chance to observe the people around them.

"What do you think?" Shannon asks.

"I like this place. It's got a good vibe," she confirms.

Shannon kisses her forehead, "It has a good mix of people too."

Ravyn nods, "It's more than just goths and vampires. I like seeing the punk rock and steam punk people too. It makes everything so much more interesting. That's one of the coolest things about living forever. People watching."

Shannon laughs. They spot Jenn and Jeff across the dance floor and make their way over to them.

"Hey," Jeff greets them. "Have you guys noticed that a bunch of the vampires here are just a bit... Off?"

"Well.." Shannon smirks. "If there's anyone who would notice something like that, it would be you."

"I know right?" Jeff roars with laughter. "But really though. They seem like they're on something."

Ravyn takes a moment to survey the room, "I didn't realize that vampire drugs were a thing."

"Definitely a thing," Jeff confirms. "It's usually as easy as just feeding on humans that are high or drunk. There's also the really hard stuff. Usually a vial of liquid blood mixed with colloidal silver. That's the shit that can kill us if we aren't careful."

"That's pretty intense," Ravyn exhales. "You'd think with all these years being dead that I'd know more about it."

"The ability for vampires to get high is pretty new science," Jeff admits. "And you rarely feed off of humans anyways. So it's probably not something you'd run into terribly often."

"I just feel weird feeding on people. I mean, I will. But if I don't have to, I won't," Ravyn explains.

"I agree," Jenn nods. "Last thing I need is the hassle of feeding from humans. Too much drama. I do really like this place though."

"I like places where Jeff and I aren't the only ones with weird colored hair," Ravyn gestures towards a woman with bright orange hair in the middle of the dance floor.

Jenn giggles, "You with the greens and blues, Jeff with the whole rainbow. Shannon with the Mohawk. That poor girl is the most normal of the bunch." Jenn pauses, staring at the woman with the orange hair. "I think I know her..."

A moment later she turns and catches Jenn's gaze. Her face lights up and she makes her way through the crowd towards their little group.

"Jenny?" She asks with a thick Irish accent. Jenn just nods excitedly. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here now!" Jenn smiles. "Guys, meet Becky. Her and I did some work together back when we were still human. We met when I was on a photoshoot in Ireland. Oh, Becky, I'm sorry. This is my boyfriend Jeff. Our brother Shannon and his girlfriend Ravyn."

Becky shakes everyone's hands, "Her job sent her to the most boring places! I took her out and showed her the best places and what Ireland is really all about."

"I really liked that job," Jenn smirks. "Travel photography is definitely much harder when you can't go out in the daylight."

"So what brings you here, Becky?" Shannon questions.

"My clan broke up. None of us were really close like family. We all lived separately. My maker died in a freak accident," she begins. "Really weird. He got stuck outside of his home. Locked out after losing his house key and the sun caught him. So I've been doing as much traveling as one can. Meeting new people. Hoping to find a place to settle down."

"That's awful," Ravyn sighs. "But it sounds like you're making the best of it. If you ever need a place to crash just let us know."

"We've got a table on the other side of the bar if you want to meet the rest of our family," Jeff adds.

"I'll definitely do that! I'll stop by in a little bit," Becky confirms before wandering back into the crowd.

Ravyn and Shannon head back to the table leaving Jenn and Jeff to keep dancing. She leans her head over onto Shannon's shoulder letting her eyes close. Her eyes pop back open when she feels something tap her chest. Tyler grinning like a maniac across the table is enough to tell her that he's up to no good. She glares at him.

"What?" He chuckles.

"I know that was you," she starts. "I don't know what you're up to... But I don't like it."

"Me?" Tyler flutters his eyelashes innocently. "What makes you think that I could ever be up to no good?"

"Because you're my jerk brother," she states matter of factly.

Tyler clutches his chest mockingly, "I'm hurt! It pains me so greatly, dear sister, that you think that I, your adoring and ruggedly handsome brother would cause trouble." He stands up and glances around the room before looking back at her. He shoots a crumpled up straw wrapper like a basketball directly down the front of her shirt. He winks as a look of pretend rage crosses her eyes. "Eh, maybe you were right," he laughs as he turns on his heel and heads to the dance floor.

Shannon is doing his best to hold in his laughter when Scott chimes in, "Well... It WAS a REALLY good shot." He and Shannon start laughing so hard that Ravyn can't help but join them. But only after chucking the paper ball at Scott's head.

They all get a chance to relax and have fun at this new club. All of the girls have a good time getting to know Becky and truly enjoy their seldom had girl time. Near the end of the night everyone meets back up at their table.

"Scott did you see the clan leader meetup?" Matt asks.

Scott nods, "I did. Next week right?"

"Yeah," Matt confirms. "Next Thursday. Is that something we want to go to?"

"I think it's something we should consider. The venue is an hour drive. And the meeting should be a few hours at most. We can be home the same night," Scott continues. "I'd like to bring a few others along. But we can work that out later."

Matt nods in agreement, "Good plan. Let's get home for tonight and we can plan from there."

The two households finish up at the club and say goodbye to Becky before heading home.

A few days later Ravyn awakes to an empty bed. She glances around the room and finds a note on her bed stand.

'Meet me in the garage at 10'

Shannon has scrawled onto the notecard. She flips it over and smiles when she sees that he had drawn a heart with their initials inside. She swings her legs over the side of the bed and stretches before stepping onto the hard wood. Crossing the floor she opens the closet door. Her favorite skull print dress is laid out with a sticky note that just says 'wear this'. She picks up the hanger and grabs a cute pair of heels before disappearing into their bathroom to take a quick shower. When she finishes her hair and makeup she opens the door to the hallway. Tyler's door is open and the light is on inside. She pops her head in quizzically.

"You're never not working out at this hour," she says worriedly. "What's wrong?"

He spins around from his mirror and asks, "Do I look ok?"

She assesses his outfit. A dark rust colored button up shirt and black jeans. Then notes his tied back ponytail. "You look like an adult. Where are you going?"

"I've got a date," he claims proudly.

She snorts, "Shut up!"

He huffs, "Why do you find it so hard to believe that your much handsomer older brother has a date?"

"You're older than me by three months," she laughs. "Come here." She steps forward and starts adjusting his shirt buttons. "So who's the lucky girl?"

"I'm meeting up with Becky at a punk show in the city," he confesses.

"Tyler!" She play slaps his chest. "You're going to a punk show in a button up dress shirt!?" She takes him by the hand and drags him over to his closet. She shuffles through a rack of shirts and stops at a plain grey tee. "This is my favorite shirt you own. It makes your muscles look big," she flexes for emphasis then hands him a black zip up hoodie. "And take this. When she pretends to be cold later you can let her wear it. Just don't expect to ever get it back."

He pulls her in and hugs her, "Thanks."

She just smiles and starts back towards the garage. As she reaches the kitchen she sees Scott standing by the sink.

"You have fun tonight," he says with a Cheshire Cat grin.

She pauses, "You know something I don't. And I'm just going to keep right on going and pretend that doesn't bother me just a little bit."

Scott chuckles as he watches her descend the stairs down to the lower level. She opens the door to the garage to see Shannon leaning against the hood of her car. He's dressed nicely with his Mohawk spiked up. He stands up to greet her by pulling her body close to his and kissing her deeply. He takes her hand, leading to the passenger side and opens the door for her. She thanks him and slides into the seat. He closes the door for her then walks around to get into the drivers seat. He hits the garage door opener, leans over to kiss her again then starts the car.

Over the next few hours Shannon takes her out to the city. They spend some time people watching before he brings her to a museum. He reaches for her hand to take her through the big double doors. She's immediately met with a complete T-Rex skeleton. A huge smile creeps across her face. They slowly make their way through the huge traveling exhibit. When they finally make their way around to the front of the exhibit again Ravyn is smiling ear to ear.

"That was amazing," she exclaims as they step outside into the fresh city air.

"I thought you'd like it, he squeezes her hand. "I saw an add for it a few weeks ago and knew I needed to take you."

She leans into him and sneaks her arm around his waist as they walk down the sidewalk. A warm breeze kicks up as they turn into a nicely manicured garden. They wander the garden, admiring the night blooming plants, before deciding to head back to the car. As they round the corner before the parking garage they see a pair of familiar faces. Tyler and Becky recognize them and walk over to say hello. Ravyn shoots Tyler a smirk she she realizes that Becky is wearing his hoodie.

"Hey guys. How was the show?" Ravyn asks.

"Really good!" Becky says excitedly. "They played a lot of new stuff."

Tyler nods, "They had an awesome set. Are you guys heading home?"

"I think so," Ravyn confirms. "The Prince showed me a really good time tonight. I'd like the chance to make it up to him."

"In that case we're definitely going home!" Shannon exclaims.

"You guys are awesome," Becky laughs.

"Hey are you busy Thursday?" Ravyn asks her.

Becky shakes her head, "No, I don't think so."

Ravyn beams, "You should come over to our place. A bunch of us will be home while the others go to that big meeting."

"Sounds fun," Becky notes. "I'll see you guys then!"

They say goodbye and head their separate ways. Shannon drives them home with Ravyn's hand in his. They pull into the garage and park. Ravyn meets him in front of the car with a flirty smile. He wraps his hands around her waist and pushes her up against the door to the house. He bends his head down to kiss her and whispers "I love you." She returns the sentiment and he scoops her into his arms and carries her up to their room.


	2. Chapter 2

Thursday evening Shannon is up before Ravyn. Her eyes flutter open to see him standing in front of their bedroom mirror. She flips around to put her head at the foot of the bed to watch him more easily.

"You're wearing an awful lot of clothes," she teases.

He looks at her slyly, "And you aren't wearing any!"

She winks,"You could lose the clothes and join me back in bed."

"I'd love to, babe," he walks over and kisses her forehead. "But Scott asked me to come with him to that big meeting tonight, remember? We're leaving in a little bit."

"Ugh, I forgot it was Thursday," she admits as she drags herself to the closet to find something to wear.

Twenty minutes later she meets the rest of her family downstairs in the kitchen. She slinks up to Shannon's side and he puts his arm around her shoulders. She can hear Tyler in the gym finishing up a workout and Scott hanging up a phone call on the back deck. The solid sliding door opens up and Scott steps back inside the house. He nods a greeting to Ravyn before checking a text message on his phone.

"Matt and the others will be over in a minute," Scott says to no one in particular then turns to Ravyn. "What are you guys doing tonight?"

"Becky is coming over," she explains. "We might go out. I don't think there are any solid plans."

Scott nods, "The meeting shouldn't take too long. I know they need to give us time to get home. We'll let you know when we get out and start heading back."

"Sounds good," she confirms as the front door of the mansion opens up.

"Honey, I'm home," Shane hollers as he lets himself, Daffney, Matt, Jeff and Jenn inside. They wander into the kitchen and say hello to everyone. Scott checks his watch and announces that they should probably get going. Shannon pulls Ravyn in for a quick hug and a kiss.

"Have fun," she smiles. "Love you."

"I love you too," he gently kisses her again. "I'll text you when we're on the way home."

Scott stands at the door and makes sure Matt, Shane, Daffney, and Shannon are outside before closing the door behind them. Tyler says hi to Jenn and Jeff before going upstairs to take a shower. The remaining group parks themselves in the spacious living room.

"Man, I'm really happy Shane found Daffney," Jeff says. "He is so much more fun now!"

Jenn confirms, "He's been such a hard ass for years. It's nice to have him finally lighten up."

"Daffney really likes him," Lodi adds. "I'm glad they get along so well."

"So, I heard your brother went on a date with Becky the other night," Jenn grins at Ravyn.

"He did!" Ravyn squeals. "We ran into them in the city that night. They were adorable. Did Becky tell you?"

Jenn nods excitedly, "She called me the next night. She had a good time. I think she's really looking forward to coming over tonight."

A few minutes pass before the doorbell rings. As Ravyn starts to stand up Tyler comes thundering down the stairs announcing that's he's got it. Ravyn sinks back into her chair and shoots Jenn a look. Tyler glares at them as they try to suppress giggles. He shushes them and opens the door with a smile. He lets Becky in and shows her to the living room where everyone is sitting. She smiles and hugs the girls.

"Ravyn this place is gorgeous!" Becky gushes. "Tyler was telling me about it. But seeing it is really something!"

"It's even more impressive during the day," Ravyn laughs.

"Maybe I'll get to see that some time!" Becky jokes. "What are we doing tonight?"

"Let's go out for a while," Lodi suggests. "Then there's no worry about getting home before daybreak."

"That's a good idea," Tyler nods.

They all agree on where to go before heading to the cars. Tyler and Becky take one car while Ravyn drives her car with the others. They meet up at The Darkness where they had first met Becky. Inside they grab a booth and settle in. Ravyn and Lodi hang back at the table while the two couples hit the dance floor. They joke and people watch together like they had done for decades. Lodi gets up to say hello to a group of friends, leaving Ravyn alone at the table. She mindlessly plays with her keys on the wood while staring out at the dance floor. Something catches her eye. A man in a hood near the door. She gets up from the booth and weaves through the gyrating crowd to get to him. He stands with his back to her, checking his phone. She hesitates before tapping him on the shoulder. He turns around and her face falls.

"Sorry," she apologizes. "I thought you were someone else."

He accepts her apology and turns back to what he was doing. She walks back around the dance floor dejectedly. Tyler meets her halfway back to their table. She looks at him sadly. He pulls her in and hugs her tightly. She buries her head in his chest and desperately tries to fight back tears.

"I know," Tyler whispers. She manages to take a few deep breaths and successfully refrains from crying. He holds her for a few more moments before letting go, "I think everyone else is ready to go home if your are."

She just nods and tries to put on a good face for her friends. She relaxes a bit when they get into the car and begins to have fun again. The two cars make it back to the mansion quickly and everyone meets up in the kitchen. They break out a few party games and immediately start laughing and enjoying themselves.

"Jenn," Becky starts. "How did you and Jeff meet?"

"Well," Jenn blushes. "Shortly after I left Ireland I was visiting some friends down here. I went out to a late night baseball game and met Jeff in the parking lot after. He was waiting for the traffic to clear up so that he could leave."

Jeff cuts her off, "Then I swept her off of her feet. Introduced her to my family. And told her I couldn't go on living the rest of eternity without her."

"Then he had his brother turn me," Jenn explains. "We've been together ever since."

Becky swoons, "That's adorable!"

"Yeah," Ravyn giggles. "They're disgusting. I love it!"

"Oh, like you and the Prince are any better," Tyler scoffs.

Ravyn slaps him playfully and the games continues. Lodi heads upstairs after the conclusion of their third game. Ravyn gets up from the table to grab herself a snack from the fridge. Her phone buzzes with a message from Shannon. 'Meeting is wrapping up. Should be home in 2 hours.' She smiles to herself and opens the fridge. She rummages through the different bottles and finally wraps her fingers around the neck of one in the back. As she closes the fridge Tyler's face appears where the door had just been.

She jumps in surprise, "Jesus Ty! You're lucky we're already dead. You scared the hell out of me!"

"That will never get old," he sniggers. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm ok," she says confidently. "I just heard from Shannon. They're expecting to leave the meeting soon."

"Awesome," he nods. "Do you think I could ask Becky to stay over?"

A huge grin spreads across her face, "Yes! I've got a ton of clothes she can borrow. And if she doesn't want to snuggle with your hairy ass we have plenty of spare rooms!"

The two of them erupt into a playful brawl in the kitchen. Ravyn manages to wriggle out of a headlock and runs back to flop on a couch in the living room. Tyler comes in after her laughing, then returns to his spot next to Becky.

"I think Jeff and I have time for one more round before we have to head home," Jenn says.

"Sounds good," Tyler nervously continues. "Becky, would you like to stay here tonight?"

"I'd love to!" Becky nods. "As long as it's ok with you guys."

Ravyn smiles, "Of course!" They go back to playing their game and being silly. The girls gang up on the boys to try and win as a team. As the game starts to wrap up Ravyn checks her phone. "They should be home by now," she worries. "Something's not right."

"I'm sure they'll be home any minute," Jenn tries to assure her.

"It's twenty minutes to sunrise," Ravyn states coldly.

Tyler checks his watch, "They'll be home."

"I'm going to text Matt," Jeff tries to hide his concern as he types out a message to his brother. He turns to Jenn, "I think we should stay here until they get back."

"I agree," Jenn adds. "Something doesn't feel right."

"I'm going to try and call Scott," Tyler stands up and walks to the top of the stairs. "No, answer."

"What should we do?" Becky asks.

"What can we do right now?" Tyler doesn't really ask. "We can't leave to go find them. There's just not enough time."

Ravyn begins to pace the floor between the living room and the kitchen. After her 10th lap Lodi comes down the stairs asking where everyone is. He's quickly filled in on the situation. He takes a seat on one of the arm chairs in the room. Ravyn's phone buzzes and she frantically fumbles to try and unlock it. At the same moment Tyler's phone rings.

"Scott, where are you guys?" he demands. But his face quickly falls. "Yes sir." Tyler puts the phone on speaker.

"Listen guys," Scott's voice wavers. "We're not going to make it home. I want to give everyone a chance to talk to their loved ones so I'm going to keep this as short as possible. Vampiro's cronies have chosen tonight to get their revenge. We're locked in the car. We can't get out. The sun is coming up. My children, I love you. Don't let revenge ruin your lives. Tyler, you're in charge. Take me off speaker please." Tyler puts the phone up to his ear and continues speaking privately with Scott.

Ravyn trembles as another text comes through her phone, 'Can I call you? Are you alone?' She shoots back a response and rushes up the stair to their room. She doesn't bother to close the door because a FaceTime request from Shannon appears before she gets a chance. She taps the accept button timidly, afraid of what she's going to see.

"Hey babe," Shannon tries to stay strong but terror seeps through his voice.

She swallows the lump in her throat, "What's going on?"

He sighs, "Desmond and Edge caught up with us. Fucked with our car. Then they followed us and have us trapped in this car. I don't know how.." He pauses. "There's not really enough time to figure it out. But that's not important right now. I needed to hear your voice. I needed to see your face one last time."

"Don't talk like that," she begs. "I love you so much. I need you here with me."

"Trust me," he sighs as the sun begins to glimmer behind him. "There's no place I would rather be than in your arms right now."

"Ok guys, finish up your calls," Scott says in the background. "Our family doesn't need to hear whatever happens next."

"Scotty says we have to go," Shannon tells her.

"No, no. I'm not ready," bloody tears well up in her eyes. "Please."

"Babe, I love you," his voice falters. "Don't cry. I need to see your beautiful smile."

She wipes away the tears that have started streaming down her face, "I love you, my Prince."

The phone call ends and the whole world seems to stop. All she hears is silence. All she sees is blackness. It isn't until she feels Tyler's arms around her that she realizes that she's been screaming. He drops to the floor next to him and pulls her close to him. He holds her tight as she sobs into his chest. Time seems to stand still for the two of them. Eventually she cries herself to sleep and Tyler takes the time to tuck her into her bed before returning to the shocked group in the living room. No one says anything for quite some time.

"We'll go to the car at sundown," Tyler tells them. "No one has to go. But if you want to."

"I need to see it for myself," Jeff says.

"How's Ravyn taking it?" Lodi asks sadly.

"Hard," Tyler says solemnly. "We've all lost people we're close to. Makers and friends. She's also lost her lover." Tyler pauses, "This isn't going to be easy for any of us. I think we all need to get some rest so we can process this and regroup tonight."

Lodi is the first to stand up. Tyler meets him with a tight hug and tries to assure him that everything will be ok. Jenn and Jeff retreat to their old room. Leaving Tyler and Becky alone on the couch.

"You ok?" She puts a hand on his knee.

"As ok as I can be," he admits.

She takes his hand and stands up, "Come on. Let's get you to bed. Tomorrow is not going to be easy."

The next night Ravyn can't bring herself to go to Matt's car. She stays home and hides. She's sitting out on the back deck when she hears Tyler's car pull into the garage. She doesn't bother to move. It takes almost an hour for Tyler to figure out where she is. He sinks into the cushions on the porch swing next to her. She looks over at him for a second, then goes back to staring off into the distance. He fumbles with something in his hands before holding it out to her.

"I thought you'd want this," he says quietly.

She takes the object from his hands. It takes her a moment to realize what it is. Shannon's cell phone. She squeezes it tightly, afraid to let it go. Afraid that maybe it's not even real. Tyler puts an arm around her shoulders and she leans up against him. Staring into the sky and fighting the tears that she knows are inevitable.


	3. Chapter 3

The next few days she does little more than sleep and mope about the house. Some night she walks around the property alone. She doesn't really talk to anyone. She barely eats. After a week or so she starts driving. To nowhere in particular, just driving. One night she ends up driving to Embrace, the club she had first met Shannon at. The club that had changed her life in so many ways. Her mind wanders from Shannon, to AJ, to Scott. Scott had done so much for her as a maker. He had taken care of her so so very many years. For him to be gone so quickly... With nothing she could do about it. It was tearing her apart. She takes a deep breath and drives back home. She guides her car into it's spot in the garage and heads up to her room. She takes Shannon's cell phone from under her pillow and holds it until she falls asleep.

She wakes up the next night before everyone else and gets dressed. She's out of the house and driving away before anyone else even stirs. She ends up at The Darkness, the club where they had met Becky. She slips the car into an empty space in the lot and turns it off. She swallows a nervous lump in her throat and goes inside. She sticks to the outskirts of the dance floor, just trying to get a grip on herself. She melts into an unoccupied corner to stand and observe. The dance floor seems to pulse in front of her, as if it were a living thing. Her body begins to ache as she realizes she hasn't eaten in days. Every human starts to look like a meal before her hungry eyes. She starts to make her way over to the seating area side of the bar. The hunger growing inside of her. Before she can make it to a bartender a tattooed hand reaches out and touches her arm. She looks up to see a handsome vampire covered in tattoos giving her a knowing look.

"You look like you could use something a little stronger than they serve here," he says slyly. "Meet me by the bathrooms in five minutes."

She's a little taken aback by his forwardness but nods a confirmation. He quickly retreats and she's left alone. She keeps moving past the bar and takes a lap of the club before making her way over to the bathrooms. The same tattooed vampire is leaning against the wall outside of the men's room when she walks up. Their eyes meet, he winks at her and pushes the door open with one arm. He lets the door close behind her remaining outside to keep watch. She scans the bathroom timidly. A goth woman with black and grey hair leans up against the double sinks. She looks Ravyn up and down with a smirk, then peers into the open stall door.

"Breeze, Corey sent us a dinner guest," she smiles.

Another vampire with long blonde hair tied back into a bun steps from the stall. He's wearing a grey rabbit fur vest, with no shirt underneath and black pants with the fluffiest of matching fur boot covers. "Hmm, so he has," he says with a flirtatious smile of approval. He reaches out to Ravyn and she hesitantly takes his hand. "Come, share this meal with me." He leads her to the door of the stall where an attractive punk rock guy with spiked hair is taking his shirt off over his head. "Ladies first," the blonde gestures to the young man's neck and taking one of his wrists for himself.

A wave of panic crashes over her body. But it's chased away by the hunger clawing her insides apart. Her fangs pop out without her even noticing. With a flash they're buried deep in the man's neck. Her instinct and need to feed take over. Even though it had been decades since she last fed on a human she tries to monitor his safety and show some restraint. The warm human blood and the pulse of his heartbeat are mesmerizing. She stops herself and pulls away from his neck. Leaning her head back she swallows the last mouthful with her eyes closed, in total ecstasy. When she opens her eyes she sees the blonde finishing off his meal. The realization that he had killed the human takes a moment to set in. He looks up at her and drops the humans wrist.

"Oops," he laughs almost sarcastically. "Paige, be a dear and have this mess taken care of." The pretty goth girl nods with a smirk. "You're welcome to join me if you'd like," he says to Ravyn on his way out of the bathroom.

Something compels her to follow him. Her body begins to tingle and things start to get a little hazy. She shakes her head trying to lose the feeling. As she passes through the crowd new and intense sensations occur by brushing by people. The blonde slips into a booth with a clean cut man with short dark hair. He motions for her to slide in next to him. They're joined a few minutes later by Paige and the tattooed vampire. She squirms a bit as the fur from the blonde's vest tickles her arm. Everything she comes in contact with sends shockwaves through her body. She looks around to the other vampires and tries to wrap her mind around what her body is feeling.

"What... What is happening to me?" She stammers.

"Ecstasy," the tattooed vampire states as he brushes Paige's hair back behind her ear.

Shock and concern must cross over Ravyn's face. The clean cut one smiles. "This is your first time, isn't it?" He asks with a thick Irish accent. She nods making him chuckle at her naivety. "Just stick with Tyler Breeze. He'll make sure you're well looked after."

The blonde runs a finger down the length of her arm sending sparks through her body. "Yeah, listen to Finn," he smiles. "Stick with me. I'll take care of you." She can't seem to look away from him. "Is it my eyes when you look at me?" He looks at her smugly. "The are so gorgeous... They'll set you free."Drug laden blood courses through her veins. She keeps trying to fight her reaction. "Just relax," Breeze whispers as he leans over to gently kiss her neck.

Her brain wants her to jump away from him, but her body subconsciously opens up her neck to allow him better access. He trails his way down to her shoulder. Electricity courses through her body as he moves a hand from her knee to her thigh. He snickers as her body shudders under his touch. He takes her hand and leads her out onto the dance floor and spends the next few hours teasing her body with his own. With light caresses and determined touches he nearly sends her body into a frenzy. She finally stops fighting her impulses and let's her body start moving as one with his. He reaches a hand up and wraps his fingers into her hair. She reals in delight at the physical contact. He smirks at her reaction and kisses her roughly. Before she has a chance to process what's happening they're back in the bathroom where they had shared the human. Their bodies tangled together in emotionless rough sex. She nips at his neck when he props her up on the sink. They remain intertwined until the high begins to fade. Shame starts to wash over her as she's adjusting her shirt.

He looks over at her smugly, "You should meet us back here tomorrow."

She nods, but refuses to make eye contact. She hurries out of the club and starts her car hastily. She pulls into the garage only a few minutes before sunrise. She doesn't talk to anyone, just disappears to her room. She stands in the shower for a long time, just letting the water run over her body. The sun is up when she finally emerges from the bathroom. She collapses onto her bed and wraps her hand around Shannon's phone under her pillow.

She awakes with a hunger like she had never felt before. She dresses quickly before heading to the kitchen to grab breakfast. Once she's in the car she begins her drive to nowhere. She takes a sip of the synthetic blood and nearly spits it out all over the dashboard. An unfamiliar craving is eating at her. She changes her trajectory and heads towards The Darkness. The drive passes quickly with her foot pushing the pedal the floor. She parks the car and sighs deeply, making sure this is really what she wants to do. Before her brain can make any decisions the hunger drags her from the car and brings her inside. She spots Paige over near the bathrooms and starts towards her.

"Wasn't sure you'd come back for more," Paige snickers. "The boys are inside."

Ravyn slips through the doorway to find the three guys feeding on a pair of humans. Breeze motions for her to join him on a cute goth chick with red hair. She pushes any fear she has out of her head and sinks her fangs into the girls neck. She drinks deeply, letting the blood run down her throat like warm soup. Almost immediately her body begins to tingle and react to whatever the girl had taken. Breeze tilts her chin up and runs a thumb down her cheek leaning in to kiss her hungrily. They manage to leave the girl alive this time. Ravyn washes her face off in the mirror before following Breeze out of the bathroom. She gets distracted by the crowd dancing and stops before they make it back to the table. She feels a body press up behind her. A quick glance over her shoulder confirms that it's Finn. He bends down and brushes her ear lobe with his lower lip. The hazy feeling she had enjoyed so much the night before has returned. Every touch is electrifying. She leans her body back against Finn, enjoying the contact. The rich scent of his leather jacket engulfs her as he wraps his hands around her waist. They dance and grind together for a few songs. She wraps her arms around his neck and stares into his icy blue eyes. He smirks and runs a hand from her hip up her back then down again to squeeze her ass. She moans as he brings his head down to kiss her. He grabs her hips and pulls her body against his. They peel apart when Breeze taps him on the shoulder.

"We should go to Cero Miedo," Breeze says running a finger across Ravyn's cheek.

"Are Corey and Paige coming?" Finn asks.

Breeze smirks, "They're a little occupied now. They'll be by later."

Breeze takes Ravyn's hand and starts walking out of the club. Finn follows close behind, slapping Ravyn's ass on the way. He takes his car keys from his jacket pocket and gets into the front seat of his sporty convertible. Breeze pulls Ravyn into the back seat with him and let's Finn drive them to the other club. They arrive in front of a glamorous expensive looking building and the line of humans waiting out front gasps collectively.

"Look.. It's Tyler!" One of them squeals.

Another shouts, "Tyler, We love you!"

Ravyn looks at them in confusion. Breeze tilts her face back to him. "Can you feel the presence of greatness near?" He smirks carelessly. "Prince Pretty's here."

Finn stops the car at the valet stand and steps out. He helps Ravyn from the back seat by lifting her over the side of the car. Breeze hops out over the passenger side wall and the crowd goes crazy. Ravyn watches curiously with Finn's arm around her shoulders. The line outside buzzes as Breeze poses for them. He walks the length of the line once or twice then he stops and reaches out to one of them. A handsome dark haired man with a well groomed beard. Finn takes her by the hand and they follow Breeze and the man inside.

This club is different from any she had ever been to before. The walls are bright red with black accents and drapes. The booths lining two of the walls have curtains to close them off from the rest of the bar. There are two elevated platforms with stripper poles. Both of them have scantily clad dancers gyrating on them. The bar seating is full of both vampires and humans in various states of undress. Breeze leads them to a booth located at the center of the back wall. A bouncer moves the velvet rope to allow them access to the booth. Finn guides Ravyn to the middle of the semi circle, he and Breeze sit on either side of her. The human sits on the other side of Breeze, bubbling with anticipation.

"You," Breeze addresses him. "Go up to the bar. Tell Jackie you're with me. She'll take care of you."

He practically leaps from the booth to rush to the bar. The pretty bartender shoots them a wink before pushing a plate of sweets and a drink to him. She exchanges a few words with him, watching as he sips the blue drink and nibbles a cookie or two. She keeps him talking until his drink is empty. She hands him a refill then sends him back to the booth. He slides into the same spot he had been before.

"Th..thank you for choosing me tonight," he stammers. "I want to be just like you."

"Super good looking. Every hair in place. I can see why.. Everyone loves this gorgeous face," Breeze plays off of the man's excitement. "Am I what you want?" He taunts him. "Don't try to fight it. You can't deny. This is perfection.. Personified."

"Piercing eyes and a chiseled jaw," the human pants. "It's like you were molded by the gods, without a flaw."

Breeze chuckles unamused. Before anyone can blink he moves the human between him and Ravyn. His fangs extend as he makes eye contact with Finn. Finn pushes a button next to his seat, closing the curtain to the rest of the club. Breeze smiles coyly at the human, "I'm everything that you are not." He sinks his fangs into the man's wrist leaving his neck and other arm for Ravyn and Finn. They drink hastily and violently, not caring about the man's well being at all. Breeze reaches across the man's chest tipping Ravyn's chin to him. He kisses her, blood trickling from their lips embrace. Finn wraps his arm around her waist and turns her around to face him. He pulls her over to straddle his lap. There's a faint rip of fabric as his fingers reach under the hem of her skirt. He unzips his pants and nips at her neck playfully. Breeze tosses the lifeless human to the far edge of the bench seat. He grabs Ravyn by the hair and stares into her eyes with a hungry grin. He kisses her savagely then pushes her head down into his lap.

The next few weeks go on like this. Feeding off of drugged humans. Craving the feeling that they give her like an addiction. Ravyn doesn't return home. Every evening she awakes wrapped in Finn and Breeze's bodies and then ignores another text from Tyler. This one reads 'I just want to know that you're not dead'. She tosses the phone back into her bag and rummages for something to wear. Paige had left her a pile of clothes to borrow. She opts for a short plaid skirt and a crop top with straps forming a pentagon across her chest. The five of them pile into Finn's car and he drives them to The Darkness.

They slip into their normal routine of feeding on a druggie then moving out to the dance floor. Ravyn is to the point now where she can barely function without the drugs. Life without them is too excruciating. Every night she craves something to make the pain go away and her new friends are always happy to oblige. Once she gets her fix she doesn't even care what happens to her body. She and Finn grind together on the dance floor until Breeze drags them both to the women's bathroom. The three of them are going at each other frenziedly when the door opens. It closes immediately when Finn growls that the room is occupied. He turns back to Ravyn with a possessed look and liquid gunmetal grey irises instead of his normal icy blue eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

Becky hurries across the floor of The Darkness, looking back over her shoulder at the bathrooms. She finds Tyler and pulls him away from the rest of the group.

"I think I just saw your sister," she whispers harshly.

"What!?" He stumbles over his words. "Here? Where is she!?"

Becky stammers nervously, "I think I just saw her in the bathroom with 2 other vampires." He tries to spin on his heel to run to the bathrooms but she holds him back. "Listen, the guys she was with... " she trails off.

"Becky," Tyler growls impatiently.

"The ones she was with... They're killers. They're old, very old," worry fills her voice. "Please don't start a fight with them."

Before he can respond he catches a glimpse of lime green hair. He falters, but doesn't run to her. Becky grips his arm tightly, willing him to stay put. He watches his sister with the two Becky spoke of. They command attention from anyone who passes by without even trying. Tyler watches as the three of them join the pulsing heartbeat of the dance floor. He takes a step towards them.

"Don't provoke them," Becky advises. "Seriously."

"I won't," he promises her. "I just need to see her."

Becky watches anxiously as he works his way through the mass of bodies dancing. It takes him a few minutes to maneuver through to them. Ravyn is lost in her own world dancing with Breeze when Finn spins around to face Tyler. Tyler stands a few inches taller than the Irishman. Finn looks him up and down questioningly.

"Can I help you?" Finn sneers.

Tyler tries to relax, but his whole body is on edge, "I need to talk to Ravyn."

"Sorry," Finn chuckles. "The princess isn't seeing visitors today. Come back some other time."

"She's my sister," Tyler attempts to reason with him.

Ravyn's ears perk up at the sound of Tyler's voice. She peeks over Finn's shoulder at her brother. She almost doesn't recognize him at first between the drugs making her head spin and the freshly bleached chunk of blonde hair over the right side of his face. He pushes past Finn to get closer to her. He wraps his arms around her and kisses her forehead worriedly. Before he can even say a word she cuts him off.

"Listen Ty," she stammers with bloody tears forming in her eyes. "I'm fine. I just can't do this right now." Breeze's arm sneaks around her bare stomach pulling her back against his body.

"Ravyn..."

"Sorry, now is not a good time," Finn cuts Tyler off with a smirk. "We've got to get back to fucking your sister." Luckily before Tyler can react to Finn's comment Becky is at his side pulling him away. Finn catches a glimpse of her and snickers, "Pleasure seeing you again, Rebecca."

Becky remains silent and concentrates on getting Tyler away from them. She doesn't have to worry about it much longer as the trio disappears from the dance floor moments later. Becky finally manages to wrangle him back to the table where the rest of his family is sitting.

"What was that about?" Jenn had only caught a portion of their altercation on the floor.

"Ravyn," Tyler sighs. "She was here, but she wasn't herself."

Becky swallows, "The guys she was with. They're heavy drug users. They're also the oldest vampires I know. We're talking thousands of years old."

"You know them?" Jeff asks.

"One of them definitely knows you," Tyler looks at Becky.

"I am familiar with them, yes," Becky admits. "There is a legend in Ireland of a demon king. Bálor. While the legend has grown and become twisted with many truth-less rumors it is still based off of one of them. Finn Bálor. Possibly one of the first vampires in Ireland," she pauses. "He's merciless. They say that he's possessed by a demon. They call the demon Prince Devitt. He has no problem killing humans or vampires. And because of his age he's nearly unstoppable."

"Is Ravyn safe with them?" Lodi worries.

"Physically sure," Becky nods. "There's no threat of anyone being able to hurt her except them. Mentally though, the drug use is going to mask everything she's going through."

"She seemed okay," Tyler struggles to admit. "At least for now, we know that Vampiro's clan can't hurt her. She's probably safer there with them than she will be with us."

Two nights later Ravyn, Finn and Breeze are leaving The Darkness. On the way to Finn's car Ravyn's is slammed up against the cold brick wall of the club. She has to shake her head a few times to try and get the haze to lift. She's barely able to make out Desmond's face. She struggles against his grip but he just laughs.

"Don't bother sweetheart," he snips in his thick British accent. "You know you're not strong enough to fight me." She can't respond with his hand wrapped around her throat. "And there's no AJ here to save you this time." He pulls something from the inside of his jacket with his free hand. "I just can't decide if I want to have my way with you before I stake you for killing my maker."

"You'll do neither," Finn and Breeze walk up behind him. "We do not share our things."

"Sorry boys," Desmond smirks. "I've had my eye on this one for a while."

"Listen, uggo," Breeze pipes in with his arms crossed over his chest. "You can either step away from our toy, or we can kill you. Your choice." Desmond looks over his shoulder and flashes his fangs at Finn and Breeze menacingly. "Totally not cute," Breeze snickers.

In a blink Finn has Desmond by the throat, making him let go of Ravyn. She rushes to Breeze's side and watches Finn in awe. His blue eyes have glazed over with the liquid silver she had only seen once or twice before. Breeze wraps an arm around her protectively as they watch. Finn holds Desmond up against the same wall he had just held Ravyn against.

"Now, I feel like I gave you a fair warning," Finn snarls. "But you seem to not want to listen."

"Fuck you," Desmond squirms.

Finn laughs, "Fuck me?"

"Oh this is going to be fun," Breeze whispers.

"Tell me," Finn steps back from the wall holding Desmond up by the throat. "Can you fly?" He asks already knowing the answer. Desmond tries to shake his head no. "Well, I can."

Finn begins to rise into the dark night sky still gripping Desmond's throat. Finn's eyes gleam in amusement as Desmond begins to panic. Finn just keeps soaring higher and higher. "Too bad you couldn't follow directions," the demon growls from inside of Finn. He laughs as he lets go of Desmond, letting him fall through the darkness. As if he had planned it Desmond comes crashing down on top of the tall stockade fencing surrounding the parking lot. His body explodes with a flash of light as the fence impales his chest. Finn touches down silently next to Ravyn and Breeze.

"Mmm, that was fun," Finn's eyes glisten.

Breeze smirks as his hand roams to Ravyn's hip guiding her towards him. "Watching you kill things always piques my appetite," he nips at her neck aggressively while addressing Finn. "Aren't you hungry too?"

"Let's go kill more things," Finn snarls with a wicked smile.

"Corey and Paige are already at Cero," Breeze tells him.

The three of the pile into Finn's car and speed to Cero Miedo. When they arrive Breeze picks a couple of humans for them and leads the way to their table in the back. The five vampires share the pair of humans draining them completely. Finn leads Ravyn down onto the dance floor by the hand. The heavy metal music has people packed tighter than usual into the already small space, almost like a mosh pit. They move together for a few songs, the silver still possessing Finn's eyes. He spins her around to face him grinding his hips against hers. Her eyes locked with his she slowly undoes his belt and zipper. He gently lifts her up and she wraps her legs around him. The demon takes over his body completely as the two of them manage to hook up undetected in the middle of the dance floor.

Days go by, Ravyn hears rumblings of her family battling Edge and James. Though she can't be sure if she imagined that, with all of the humans and drugs she has consumed. Finn had been on a kick of killing the humans they'd been feeding from. Ravyn tries not to let that bother her too much. Luckily any twinge of guilt or regret she feels disappears once the drug laced blood kicks in. After feeding Ravyn and Breeze stray out onto the dance floor of The Darkness. Ravyn's family makes their way into the club and collapse at an open table. A round of drinks makes their way to their table as they try to relax. Even through the cloudy drug feeling Ravyn can tell that they're on edge. None of them venture to the dance floor like they normally would. Ravyn sneaks glimpses of them when her head isn't buried in the crook of Breeze's neck. Another couple of songs play keeping them occupied and tangled up with each other.

Tyler takes the head of a table with Jeff on one side and Becky on his other. They congregate at one end of the table, leaving three empty chairs at the other end. Tyler glances over at Ravyn in the crowd.

"I wish she would join us," Tyler says to no one in particular.

Becky reaches out and puts her hand on his, "She's in no shape to fight tonight. It's better that she stays here with them."

"I'm so sick of fighting," Jeff lets out an exhausted sigh.

"Did you call him?" Jenn looks hopefully at Tyler.

Before he can answer two men coming into the club catch their eyes. Two very muscular bald men. One tall and one short, both have well groomed beards and matching leather vests without shirts underneath. They seem to scan the room before stepping to the side of the doorway. A hood and a beard appear between their shoulders. He steps between them and leads them into the club. He lifts the hood from his eyes to take a quick look around. AJ spots Jeff's rainbow hair and takes the others to their table. Tyler stands up to greet him with a manly hug. He nods to everyone else at the table before taking a seat at the far end with the two bald men on either side of him.

"This is Doc Gallows," he gestures to the taller of the two. "And Karl Anderson."

"We're the insurance policy," Karl jokes.

"Where's Ravyn?" AJ asks uncertainly.

Tyler looks down at the table, "She's out on the dance floor. Listen, she's gotten mixed up in some bad shit. Losing half of our family has torn her apart."

"She's been hooking up with a couple of ancient vampires," Becky explains. "They're really into sex, drugs and murder."

"I'm sorry," AJ looks at her, confused. "Who are you?

"Becky," she tells him.

He looks her over before asking her to tell him everything she knows about Finn and Breeze. She lets him in on any details she can think of. He listens intently while she describes the demon. As she finishes up he stands, telling Doc and Karl to stay put. He heads to the dance floor bringing his hood up onto his head. He slinks between clusters of dancing bodies towards the center of the dance floor where Ravyn and Breeze are lost in each other. She has her face buried in the crook of his neck, their bodies practically glued together. AJ circles around behind Breeze and waits for Ravyn to look up. When she does she shakes her head sadly, assuming that's she's just hallucinating again. She looks up a second time a minute later to see that he's still there.

"AJ?" She whispers in disbelief.

Breeze pulls back and looks at her quizzically. She steps around him and stares at AJ, still not believing that he's right in front of her. They stand face to face for what feels like an eternity. Finn joins Breeze watching in confusion. She steps forward slinking her arms around him under his leather vest. She buries her head into his chest as he wraps his strong arms around her. They stay in this embrace for a few long moments.

Breeze taps his foot impatiently and crosses his arms over his chest. "Am I missing something here?" He asks Finn. "Who is the uggo?"

Finn shushes him as though he were a toddler, "I think she cares about him..."

The two of them continue to watch the interaction happening in front of them. AJ squeezes her tightly before stepping back to look her in the eye. She reaches a hand up to trace his bearded jaw.

"I thought you would never come back," she barely manages to squeak out.

"Your family needs me," he explains.

Deep red tears start to well up in her eyes, "I... need you."

She moves her hands to his belt buckle and pulls him close to her. The drugs coursing through her body keep slipping her in and out of that hazy state. She stands on her toes and leans in to kiss AJ. He modestly turns his head to the side slightly, avoiding the gesture.

"Not here," he shakes his head. "Not when you're like this." She swallows a lump of embarrassment and looks down at the floor. He pulls her in and kisses her forehead. "We're going to take out Edge and James. I need you to stay here where it's safe." She nods her head sadly. "I'll come back for you as soon as they're taken care of. I promise."

"Please," she begs. "Don't make promises that you aren't sure you can keep."

"Ok. Ok! Enough!" Breeze steps in. "Who the hell are you? And what do you think you're doing with my toy?"

Finn snickers watching Prince Pretty get cranky watching the two of them. Ravyn turns to face Breeze and leans herself back into the safety of AJ's chest. The drugs finally beginning to wear off she starts to realize the situation she's gotten herself into. AJ takes the lead though as he had done many times before.

"She's mine," he growls.

Breeze smirks, "She's been mine, and his... Every night for the last month."

"That ends tonight," AJ snarls. He wraps his hands around Ravyn's waist and lifts the edge of her shirt to show the brand he had left on her. The seared flesh raised up in the tidy AJ brand tingles as he runs a finger over it. Her body quivers at his touch.

"Oh that is unfortunate," Finn frowns. "She was a lot of fun too."

"This is ridiculous," Breeze stomps. "We were having such a good time with her!"

"Now Breeze," Finn chastises him. "He clearly had to go through a lot and hurt her to do that. I'll respect the branding."

"Fine! Just fine!" Breeze throws his hands up in the air and storms away. "You never let me have any fun!"

Finn rolls his eyes then smirks at Ravyn and AJ before turning to follow Breeze across the club. Ravyn turns back to face AJ and hug him again, taking the scent of him and his leather vest in. He leads her by the hand back to where everyone else is sitting. Tyler stands and pulls her into his arms tightly, never wanting to let her go. She tries to apologize to him, but he just shushes her, telling her not to worry about it. She takes her time to greet the rest of her family before sitting down in the chair AJ has pulled up between him and Karl. He introduces her to his new friends.

"AJ's told us a lot about you," Karl tells her.

"Yea he has," Doc snickers. "He never shuts up about yo..."

Doc is cut off by AJ kicking him under the table. "He means it's really great to finally put a face to the name," Karl giggles.

The group discusses their plan for Edge and James. They'd learned through some sources that they had built a clan of their own. A large enough clan that Tyler had requested AJ and his friends as backup.

"You do realize there's no way I'm staying here right?" Ravyn remarks to AJ.

He looks at her smugly, "I know. I just knew saying that would make you get your shit in gear."

As the group stands and begins to gather their things Finn appears over Ravyn's shoulder. His eyes gleaming pools of liquid silver.

"I'd like to join you tonight," he demands rather than asks. "I just really... Enjoy killing things."

After their only previous meeting being so negative Tyler is visibly hesitant. He looks to Ravyn and then Becky before accepting Finn's offer. All ten of them leave the club and get into their cars. Rain starts to pelt the windshields of their vehicles as they caravan towards the swamp. Heat lightning illuminates the cloud riddled sky in long clustered bursts. AJ drives Ravyn's car with her in the front seat, Karl and Doc in the back. He follows Tyler's car with the rest of their family and Finn brings up the rear in his own car. A tense silence keeps everyone on edge during the drive. Tyler turns down a long tree lined gravel road.

AJ looks over at Ravyn with concern on his face, "You okay?"

"Hungry," she says blankly. "And ready for them to pay."

He continues to follow Tyler to a small parking lot. One side is lined by trees dripping with Spanish moss. The other is home to a small field with a swamp at the far end. Picnic tables and small camping grills speckle the field. As they step from the cars a posse of vampires lead by a now short haired Edge makes their way towards them. Tyler steps up and stands nose to nose with Edge. They exchange no words, just dagger filled stares. Twenty or so other vampires flank Edge's sides. Most of them seem to be fledglings that James and Edge have hastily created.

Finn almost giggles leaning on the hood of his car, "Oh dis, dis is going to be fun."

Wind whistles through the trees as the battle begins. Edge immediately goes for Tyler. AJ manages to attack and stake James from behind while he's distracted by Edge. Finn tears through a handful of baby vampires all on his own, cackling madly, like a cat playing with a mouse before ripping it to shreds. The thunder rumbles closer to them as the rain soaks the battlefield. Jenn and Jeff team up to take out a pair of young vampires. Soon Edge realizes that he's fighting a losing battle. His kin are taken out one by one around him. Ravyn and her family surround him. He looks around himself nervously trying to find a way to escape. They begin to slowly close in on him. Finn watches from a distance, amused by the carnage. AJ steps forward to stand face to face with Edge.

"Come on, AJ," Edge tries to reason with him. "It doesn't have to be this way. Remember all the good times we had?"

"The good times?" AJ scoffs. "This ends here tonight, with you. Once I kill you, and I WILL kill you... Vampiro will never be able to hurt anyone I care about again."

Before he can plead anymore AJ shoves a stake directly through his heart. Thunder claps as if it were cheering his victory. Ravyn walks to his side and takes his trembling hand. He brushes his hair out of his face with a blood soaked finger. Finn crosses over the soaked grass to AJ and Ravyn.

"Thank you," Ravyn says to him. "For tonight... For everything."

"Don't thank me," Finn chuckles. His blue eyes have returned. "Remember that you're welcome to come back and party with us any time." He kisses her hand like a gentleman before disappearing to his car.

Ravyn had taken some time to herself after the battle to recover from her time with Finn and Breeze. She had had a hard time switching back to the synthetic blood after feeding on humans for so long. AJ had been sure to give her as much time and space as she needed. When she felt that she had finally started to get over the tragedy that had occurred to her she started hanging out with her family again. She felt guilty when she realized that she was starting to have feelings for AJ. Like she was sure everyone would judge her. Losing Shannon had been one of the worst experiences of her life. But she had finally accepted that she shouldn't suffer his loss forever.

Two months later Ravyn and her family sit at their usual table inside The Darkness laughing and enjoying themselves. AJ and Ravyn are sitting next to each other, flirting through glances and gentle touches. They hadn't so much as even kissed since she had been a prisoner at Vampiro's. Karl and Doc cracked jokes along with the rest of the table while Ravyn and AJ are lost in their own little game.

"Back when we were in Japan we all had to share this tiny crawl space under the floorboards of this temple," Karl explains.

Doc pipes in, "And AJ was always the first asleep. Me and Karl would stay up giggling for hours as he said kept calling her name in his dreams."

The rest of the group howls with laughter while Ravyn and AJ are completely oblivious. One by one when they stop laughing they just stare at the two of them. When the whole table has been silent for a few moments Ravyn looks around sheepishly. AJ shifts uncomfortably in his chair when he realizes everyone is staring at them.

"Would you two stop eye fucking each other and get out of here," Doc sends the whole table into another fit of laughter.


End file.
